Weft beat-up for fly shuttle looms



April 13, 1954 R. G. TURNER WEF'T BEAT-UP FOR FLY SHUTTLE LOOMS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1951 INVENTOR RICHARD G .TURNER ATTORNEYApril 13, 1954 R. G. TURNER 2,675,028

WEFT BEAT-UP FOR FLY SHUTTLE LOOMS Filed Sept. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG.4 79

INVENTOR RCHARD G.TURNER ATTOR N EY Patented Apr. 13, 1954 WEFT BEAT-UPFOR FLY SHUTTLE LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor toCrompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application September 18, 1951, Serial No. 247,129

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in weft laying and beat-upmechanisms for fly shuttle looms and it is the general object of theinvention to provide rotating reed and shuttle guide means movable intoand out of shuttle guiding position in timed relation with the beat-upoperation of the reed as the latter rotates.

In certain types or high speed looms th reciprocation of the lay causesobjectionable vibration due principally to the need for a dwell motionof the lay to permit time for passage of the shuttle. Looms of thisgeneral type generally include a reed and some form of guide for theshuttle which rock back and forth. In such looms a small fraction onlyof a second is available for the beating up operation and the previouslymentioned objectionable vibration grows out of the rapidity of motion ofthe reciprocating reed and lay.

It is an important object of the present invention to separate the reedfrom the shuttle guide means and rotate the reed at a preferably thoughnot necessarily uniform speed and manipulate the guide means so that itmoves into and out of the warp shed between successive beating upoperations of the rotary reed. In this way a large part of the weightheretofore mounted on the lay is placed on a fixed axis and the reeddents can be made so that they are in balance around the reed aXis andtherefor produce little or no vibration.

It is a further object of the invention to provide beat-up meansincluding a rotary reed the dents of which have on opposite sidesthereof relatively high beat-up areas located angularly between lownon-beat-up areas and control the guide means so that it moves into andout of the warp shed when the low area parts of the reed dents arefacing the fell of the cloth. By this arrangement time is provided forthe flight of the shuttle between successive beating up operations ofthe reed, the low non-beat-up parts of the reed dents leaving ample roomin the warp shed for the flight of the shuttle.

It is another object of the invention to mount the shuttle guide meansfor rocking motion about an axis parallel to the axis of the rotary reedand connect the reed and the guide means so that these two parts move inunison but in such relation that the guid means are always out of thepath of the rotating reed dents but are capable of dwelling in the warpshed a sufficiently long time to permit the shuttle to complete aflight. The guide means are preferably made so that they will have ashuttle supporting surface extending entirely under the path of thshuttle and have all parts thereof above the bottom warp shed so thatthe thread which is drawn across the loom by the shuttle will be keptout of frictional contact with the bottom warp.

It is a still further object of the invention to have the reed dents ofsuch size that the warp threads are always guided by the dents, thelatter always having som part thereof extending above the top warp shed.

It is another object of the invention to interconnect the rotary reedand shuttle guide means by mechanism including preferably conjugate camssecured to a shaft forming part of the rotary reed and operatingconnections which rock the shuttle guide means.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a shuttleguiding and weft beat-up unit which can b readily supported on a loomframe.

In order that the invention may .be clearly un-- derstood reference ismade to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example theembodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of part of the loom showin the invention appliedthereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-4, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 1, showing theconjugate cams and the connector between them and the rocker shaft forthe shuttle guide means,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing part or the mechanism and looking in thedirection of arrow 5, Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical detailed section on line 6-45, Fig. 5,showing one of the shuttle guide plates,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 1-1, Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-43 Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the loom frame includes rightand left loomsides I and 2 which may be joined across their upper endsby a breast beam 3 over which the cloth C extends toward a take-upmechanism which may be of any desired type but not shown herein. Theloom is provided with harness frames 5 and 5 which are operated in usualmanner to produce top and bottom warp sheds wt and W2. These warp shedscome together at the fell 1 of the cloth in usual manner. While only twoharness frames have been shown it is to be understood that more harnessframes can be used if desired in conformity with usual loom designpractice.

The loom set forth herein may for instance be of the genera type shownin my prior Patent No. 1,441,611 which operates with one or more outsidesupplies of weft and a dummy shuttle to which the weft is attached to bedrawn into the warp shed by the shuttle. As shown for instance in Fig. 1two filling thread supplies Pi and are provided at the right and leftsides of the loom and a shuttle S of the spcolless typ may be providedfor introducing weft from the spools into the warp shed. The presentinvention does not relate particularly to the manner of 'fastening'theweft threads to the shuttle or the manner in which the latter is pickedand the showing set forth in Fig. 1 is for illustrative purposes only.It will be sufficient for the present description to state that the weftis connected to the shuttle and that the latter is propelled orprojected from guides 8 by the equivalent of a picker stick representedat 9.

'part of bearing l8 and also through horizontal slots 16 in the loomsidso that each of the hearing members can be adjusted both vertically andin a back and forth direction, that is, to the right or left as viewedin Fig. 2. The bearings I!) are jointed to each other by a cross beam lleach end of which is secured as at it to the corresponding bearing. Thebearings and beam form a rigid frame designated generally at is formingthe support for the rotary reed and shuttle guide structures.

A preferably tubular reed shaft 20 extends across the loom below thebottom shed W2 and is mounted for rotation about a fixed in the bearingmembers H3. The shaft has a sprocket Wheel 2| secured thereto meshingwith a chain 22 which can be driven by any convenient means (not shown),the wheel 21 and chain constituting mechanism for rotating shaft 28. Theshaft is provided with an elongated key 23, see Fig. 8,

fitting into a key slot 24 extending along the shaft. Mounted on theshaft 26 are the reed dents which are separated from each other byspacer rings 28. Each reed dent has a transverse key slot 21 receivingthe key 23 so that all of the dents are fixed as to their angularposition on the shaft and turn with it. Nuts 28 on screw threads 29 onshaft til locate the reed dents in the desired position along the lengthof shaft 20.

The details of' the bearings for the shaft 2i! are shown in Fig. 4 whichshows the bearing at one end of the shaft, but it is to be understoodthat the opposite hearing it will be similarly constructed; As shown inFig. i the hearing it has a hollow head 33 within which are located theouter shells or rings 35 and 32 of two ball bearings 33. The inner ringsor shells at and 35 preferably have a tight fit with the shaft 2d andare separated by a sleeve 35. An end member 31 shown at the left ofshell 34 in Fig. 4 is provided with the flange 38 extending generally ina plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 20.. A hub 39 of sprocketwheel 2i is keyed as at 40 to shaft 20 and is held in positionlengthwise along the shaft by set screw 4!. The hub 39 has a reducedextension 42 which engages the right side of the shell 35 as shown inFig. 4. Balls .3 between th inner and outer shells provide for freeturning of shaft 29 relative to the bearing member H).

The reed dents 25, shown more particularly in Fig. 2, are made of flatsheet metal plates and are provided with two high beat-up points orareas 45 and :36 which are aligned lengthwise of shaft 2d andsuccessively turn to beat-up position. The dents also have two lownon-beatup areas 41 and d8 also aligned lengthwise of shaft 2ointermediate the beat-up areas. The minimum radius of the reed dent isgreater than the distance between the axis of shaft 26 and the top warpshed Wi so that some parts of both the top and bottom sheds are alwayslocated between the reed dents. While this is a desirabl construction inorder to maintain correct alignment of the warp threads with the reed itmay not be essential in certain forms which the invention may take. Forthe sake of lightnose the reed dents are provided with perforations 49.The peripheral edge of each dent and also preferably the perimeters ofthe holes 49 are smooth so that they will not abrade the warp threads.

For each rotation of shaft 20 there will be two beat-up operations. Ascontemplated herein the shaft will turn counter-clockwise as viewed inFig. 2 so that high beat-up area or point 45 will be presented to thefell 1 of the cloth after the reed is turned counterclockwise from theposition shown in Fig. 2, and then one beat later the high point or area46 will be presented to the fell of the cloth. Between these bea -upoperations the low areas 4'1 and 48 will face the fell of the cloth andbe spaced an appreciable distance behind it. The high and low areasalternately face the cloth fell 1.

The shuttle guide means G includes in its construction a cross rockershaft 5!] journaled in the bearings i6 and having arms 5! keyed theretoas at 52. As shown herein the hubs 53 of the arms 5| are split, part 54of the hub being integral with the arm and part 55 being formed as a capheld to the arm by bolts Secured to the upper ends of the lever 5| is across bar 6E! rockable about the axis of shaft 5 Bar fill has securedthereto a plurality of shuttle guides t! which may be made as shown inFigs. 5, 6 and '7. Each guide has a vertical relatively thin plat 62 theupper rear end of which is provided with a shuttle guide opening oraperture 63 opening rearwardly as at 54 to provide for egress of weftfrom the guide openings 53. The forward end of each plate 62 is providedwith a foot 65 which is slotted as at 66 to receive a securing screw 3'!tapped into the bar 8!. The head 68 of each screw clamps thecorresponding foot against the top of the bar 52 to hold the guide infixed adjusted back and forth position on the bar. The bar is providedwith a slot 69 for each foot 85, the slots 59 being transverse of thebar and serving to position the shuttle guides so that their flat plates52 are in vertical planes substantially perpendicular to the bar SI. Theopenings 63 of the several guide plates are aligned across the loom andprovide a shuttle pathway P parallel to the reed shaft Zil. As shown inFig. 6 the shuttle guide or plate 62 is made with a surface a on theunder side of the slot or opening 553 and as will be apparent from Fig.2, this part a which serves as a support means for the shuttle extendsentirely under the path of the shuttle and is located above the bottomwarp shed. In this way the thread which is drawn behind the shuttle iskept out of frictional engagement with the bottom warp shed. As shownherein the previously mentioned shuttle guide means G comprises therocker shaft 50, the arms 5| the bar 6i), and th shuttle guides 61 butthe invention is not limited to this particular assembly of parts toform the guide means.

In order that the shuttle guide means may be oscillated or reciprocatedeach side of the loom is provided with a guide means operating mechanismdesignated generally at D. These mechanisms are alike and one of them isdescribed in detail herein.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft 20 has mountedthereon a cam member 79 the hub ll of which is secured to the shaft Ellin fixed angular position by a key 72 fitting into a slot 13 in the huband also into a slot 7 in the shaft. A set screw 35 holds the cam memberin adjusted lengthwise position along the shaft 20 and the key 12 causesthe cam member to rotate with the reed shaft 20.

In the present instance the cam member is provided with two cam surfacesiii and il which in effect provide conjugate cams for the operation of ayoke or slide connector it. This connector has a roller '19 rotatablymounted thereon for engagement with the surface iii and as shown at thelower part of Fig. i has an'upstanding finger 80 on which is mounted forrotation a second roller 82 for engagement with the cam surface T1. Therollers engage their respective cams on opposite sides of reed shaft 2%.The connector is formed with a slot 82 the sides 83 of which engage aguide block 84 freely oscillatable on shaft 26 and confined betwen thepreviously described flange 38 and the cam member 10. The flange 38 andthe cam member also hold the slide connector 13 in operating positionalong the shaft 20.

The lower end of the connector 18 is forked as at 85 and mounts a pin 86which passes through a bearing 8"! on an arm 88 keyed as at 89 to theshaft 5!]. When the connector 18 moves transversely of shaft Ell bysliding along the block t l the arm 88 and shaft 58 will be rocked.

The contours of the two cam surfaces it and Ti are shown moreparticularly in Fig. 3. Referring first to surface "El and roll 8|, theparts are shown in Fig. 3 in the position they occupy when the shuttleguide means is in the warp shed forward of the reed. Roll 8| is againsta dwell surface 90 and as the cam rotates counter-clockwise the dwellwill continue in engagement with roll iii to hold the guide platesstationary long enough to permit the shuttle to complete its flight.Then as beat-up area 45 approaches the fell 1 incline iii engages rollat and lowers it from the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving theshuttle guides forwardly toward their normal position shown in forwarddotted line position, Fig. 2, to clear the advancing high area 35 of thereed. Incline 9i continues to move the shuttle guide forwardly untilafter beat-up and until the part of the reed behind the beat-up area 45is below the fell 1, whereupon a relatively steep decline 92 engagesroll 8i to effect a rapid movement of the shuttle guide into the warpshed to the full line position shown in Fig. 2. Upon completion ofmovement of the shuttle guides into the warp shed another dwell 93similar to dwell 90 will engage roll BI and the guides will be ready foranother flight of the shuttle. The remainder of surface I! includes anincline 94 and a decline 95 similar, respectively, to parts SI and 92 ofsurface TI.

The surface 1t has dwells 96 corresponding to dwells and 93, hasdeclines 91 corresponding to inclines 9i and 94, and has inclines 93corresponding to declines 92 and 95, so that the two cam surfacescooperate in timed relation with the reed to positively move the guideplates 6| into the warp shed in shuttle guiding position as soon as onehigh point of the cam has completed a beat-up operation, then hold theguides stationary long enough to permit a complete flight of theshuttle, and thereafter move the guides out of the shed to provideclearance for the other high beat-up area of the reed. While the shuttleis in flight through the shed and along its pathway as defined by theslots 63 the thread trailing from the shuttle will be supported by theedge or area a above the bottom warp shed. During operation the reedrotates about a fixed axis and the shuttle guide means, which isindependent of the reed, is rocked back and forth around another axisspaced from but parallel to the axis of the reed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simplemeans by which the relatively heavy reed is rotated about a fixed axisand sets up little or no vibration in the loom and the relatively lightshuttle guide means moves into and out of the shed in timed relationwith the rotation of the reed to permit flight of the shuttle when a lownonbeat-up area of the reed faces the fell of the cloth, or is betweenthe top and bottom warp sheds WI and W2. The driving mechanism for theshuttle guide means includes cam means secured to the reed shaft andoperatively connected, as by the connector 18, to the rocker shaft 50 onwhich the shuttle guide means is mounted. The cams have been shownherein as of the conjugate type to give positive movements to theshuttle guide means and produce a dwell motion which will hold thepathway P stationary in the warp shed to guide the shuttle while itmakes a flight between suecessive beat-up operations. The reed dents arepreferably though not necessarily of sufficient size so that both thetop and bottom warp sheds always pass between reed dents to preservealignment of the warp threads with the reed. The invention also setsforth a unit which can be attached readily to the frame of the loom,this unit comprising essentially the frame l9, the reed structure R, theguide means G, and the mechanism D for oscillating the guide means.Furthermore, it will be seen that the part a of the shuttle guide 62 onwhich the shuttle is supported extends uninterruptedly laterally of thepath of the shuttle with all parts thereof above the warp shed to holdthe weft out of engagement with the bottom warp shed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of theinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what isclaimed is:

1. In a loom operating with a shuttle, a rotary weft beat-up reedturning about an axis during loom operation and when turning havingsuccessive weft beat-up operations, reciprocating shuttle guidesindependent of the reed moving into the warp shed forward of the reedand then moving out of the warp shed between successive beat-upoperations of the reed, and means to *projectthe shuttle through theguides while the latter are in the shed.

2. In a loom operating with a shuttle, a shaft extending across theloom, a weft heatmp reed fixed to and rotating with the shaft, mechanismto rotate the shaft and cause the reed to have successive beat upoperations, shuttle guides independent of the reed normally out of thewarp shed but mounted for movement into the warp shed, means acting intimed relation with said mechanism to move the guides into the warp shedforward of the shaft between successive heat-up operations of the reed,and means to propel the shuttle through said guides when the latter area shuttle vpathway therethrough and located normally out of the warpshed but mounted for movement into the warp shed, means coordinated withthe mechanism effective to move said guides into the warp shed when saidlow areas of the dents face the fell of the cloth and remove the guidesfrom the .warp shed before the high areas of the dents face the fell,and means to propel the shuttle through said guides when the latter arein the warp shed to lay weft in the warp shed, the mechanism thereaftercausing the high areas of the dents to beat up the weft laid by theshuttle while said guides are out of the warp shed. 7 V I 41. In a loomoperating with a weft laying shuttle, a set of reed dents having lownon-beat-up areas and high beat-up areas mounted for rotation about anaxis, mechanism to rotate said dents about said axis so that the low andhigh areas thereof are alternately in the part of the warp shed betweensaid axis and the fell of the cloth, a set of shuttle guides defining ashuttle pathway parallel to said axis and mounted for movement into andout of the warp shed, means to locate the guides in said part of thewarp shed with said shuttle pathway in the warp shed when the low areasof the reed are in said part of the warp shed and locate the guidesoutside of the warp shed when the high areas of the reed are in saidpart of the warp shed, and means to project the shuttle through theguides along said pathway to lay weft in the warp shed when the guidesare in the warp shed, the mechanism thereafter causing the high areas ofthe reed to enter the warp shed to beat up the weft while said guidesare located outside the warp shed.

5. In a loom in which a shuttle passes through a warp shed to lay weft,a shaft extending across the loom and rotating during loom operation, arotary reed mounted on the shaft having dents provided with heat-upareas which during rotation of the shaft are alternately in and out ofthe part of the warp shed forward of said shaft, shuttle guide meansdefining a pathway for said shuttle mounted for movement into and out ofsaid part of the warp shed, and means effective to locate the guidemeans in the warp shed when said heat-up areas are out of said part ofthe warp shed for a passage of the shuttle through said pathway andthereafter effective to locate said guide means out of the warp shedwhile said heat-up areas are in said part of the warp shed to beat upthe weft laid by the. shuttle.

6. In a loom operating with a shuttle, a reed shaft rotating during loomoperation, reed dents secured to the shaft having high heat-up pointsaligned longitudinally of the shaft and having low non-beat-up pointsalso aligned longitudinally of the shaft, a rocker shaft, shuttle guidemeans mounted on and moving with the rocker shaft, cam meanssecured toand rotating with the reed shaft, and operative connections between thecam and the rocker shaft effective to rock the latter to move theshuttle guide means into the warp shed when the low points of said reeddents face the fell of the cloth and move said guide means out of thewarp shed preparatory to movement of the high points of the reed to thefell of the cloth to beat in the weft. laid by the shuttle.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6 wherein the cam is of theconjugate type having two surfaces and the connections include a yokehaving rollers, one for each of the cam faces, located on opposite sidesof the axis of the reed shaft.

8. The structure set forth in claim '7 wherein a guide block is mountedfor free oscillation on the reed shaft and cooperates with the yoke tohold said rollers in position to engage their respective cam surfaces atopposite sides of the axis of the reed shaft.

9. In a shuttle guiding and weft beat-up unit for a loom, a supportframe, a reed shaft rotatahly mounted on the frame and having securedtheret reed dents having a high heat-up area and a low nornbeat-up area,a rocker shaft mounted for rocking movement, on the support frame,shuttle guide means secured to the rocker shaft, and operativeconnections between the reed shaft and the rocker shaft effective whenthe reed shaft rotates to move said guide means toward the low areas ofthe reed dents and thoroafter move said guide means away from the areasof the reed dents.

10. The unit set forth in claim 9 wherein the connections comprise aconjugate cam secured to the reed shaft and having two cam faces and ayoke connector having rollers engaging said surfaces and operativelyconnected to the rocker shaft.

11. The unit set forth in claim 9 wherein said connections include a camon the reed shaft and means moved by the cam operatively connected tothe rocker shaft.

12. The unit set forth in claim 11 wherein the cam has inclined surfaceseffective to move the shuttle guides relative to the reed shaft andhaving also dwell surfaces to hold the shuttle guide means in stationaryposition during part of a retation of the reed shaft.

13. The unit set forth in claim 11 wherein the support frame compriseend hearing members for the reed shaft and rocker shaft and a cross barrigidly connected to the bearing members.

14. In a loom operating with a shuttle, a rotary weft bea -up reedturning about an axis during loom operation and when turning having weftbeat-up operations, shuttle guides indopendent of the reed moving intothe warp shed forward of the reed and then moving out of the warp shedprior to a beat-up operation of the reed, and means to project theshuttle through the guides while the latter are in the warp shed.

15. In a loom operating with a supply of weft exterior to the loom, areed occupying beat-up and non-beat-up positions during operation of theloom, a shuttle capable of attachment to the weft having a flightthrough the warp shedforward of the reed when the latter is innon-beatup position and drawing weft from the supply into the warp shedforward of the reed, shuttle guides movable independently of the reedhaving aligned openings therein defining a pathway through which theshuttle and thread attached thereto said guides having the parts thereofunder said openings therein extending across said pathway to providesupports on which the shuttle travels, and means moving the shuttleguides into the warp shed when the reed is in non-heat-up position withsaid parts thereof which are under said openings located above thebottom warp shed to support the weft drawn by the shuttle above and outof contact with the bottom warp shed.

16. In a loom operating with a weft supply exterior to the loom, a reedoccupying heat-up and non-beat-up positions as the loom operates, ashuttle which on a flight through the warp Shed forward of the reed whenthe latter is in nonbeat-up position is attached to and draws weft fromsaid supply into the warp shed, guide means defining a pathway for theshuttle movable independently of the reed into the warp shed when thereed is in non-beat-up position and. having support means for theshuttle and the thread extending laterally of and entirely across thebottom of said pathway, and means to move said guid means into the shedwhen the reed is in non-beat-up position and locate said support meansabove the bottom warp shed to support the thread above and out ofengagement with the bottom warp shed when said thread is being drawninto the shed by the shuttle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 752,922 Poalk Feb. 23, 1904 939,503 Hollas et a1. Nov. 9, 19091,119,332 Walsh Dec. 1, 1914 2,180,831 Libby Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 211,595 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1924

